Wednesday, July 12, 2006

About halfway through our stay at Glacier National Park, we went to Idaho to visit one of my high school teachers, Jim Kline (JWK). JWK retired the year I graduated (perhaps our class did him in), which was [ahem] a while ago. Although mostly through Christmas cards, we managed to stay in touch all this time. When we arrived, JWK exclaimed, “Wendee, it’s like you just stepped out of my class!” How nice is that to hear?

JWK had moved to Idaho after retiring, to a house he’d spent summers before building. The house is great, open, and full of things that would remind you of Hawaii. He and his wife have a menagerie of pets, and J spent a good deal of time romping with the six large dogs. JWK and J also traded talk of teaching (AP Calc and AP Physics), backpacking and the great outdoors. It was a short overnight visit, but so nice to be able to enjoy the comforts of home and to see a very friendly, familiar face.

So, we're both older, slower, and there's a little bit more of us to love, but the affection that we have is, indeed, almost as if I'd just stepped out of his class. Old friends are so very precious; remember that.

AP Physics geeks, you know who you are: You ought to drop Old Man Kline a line. Send me an email and I’ll forward you his address/phone number.